Lukang

2019

Synopsis

In the rhythm of everyday life in a Taiwanese city, people look at each other in a setting where private space is transformed into a public space and the public space is transformed into a private space. "Lukang" reveals itself as a "fresco" invocatory of mutual observation.

Bio-filmography of the directors

The Portuguese filmmaker José Manuel Fernandes made several films, among them are "Sombras do Passado" (2006) that won a prize for Best Portuguese Debut at Doclisboa; "Wakasa" (2011), which reconstructs the legend of the love between a Japanese princess and a Portuguese adventurer of the XVI century, wining a prize in Indielisboa 2011; "Beyond Marão" (2014) a surreal journey through a desolate mountain village, wining a prize in Indielisboa 2015; "From Vincent’s House in the Borinage" (2016) which is a look to the Borinage through the eyes of the painter Van Gogh.

Mário Gajo de Carvalho has 4 university diplomas in Arts and Cinema. As a director, his best-known film is "The Millionaires", which premiered and awarded at IndieLisboa 2011; the film has toured 24 countries. His experimental film "The Place that Remains" had the world premiere as part of the 10th Berlin Directors Lounge, Contemporary Art and Media 2014, and was screened at 12 film festivals.

12 minutes

Image: 16x9

Sound: Stereo

Format: HD

Experimental documentary

Cast

Random people from de city of Lukang, Taiwan.

Crew

Directors:

José Manuel Fernandes

Mário Gajo de Carvalho

Image:

José Manuel Fernandes

Edit:

Mário Gajo de Carvalho

Zsófia Ördög

Sound design:

Mário Gajo de Carvalho

Producers:

Mário Gajo de Carvalho

José Manuel Fernandes

Intention note

The characters in Lukang are portrayed in their solitude, fulfilling their daily and mundane tasks represented through a single sequence plan from a fixed camera. Each episode becomes a "study" of certain characters in their privacy and towards the public sphere they occupy. This aesthetic strategy results in a fusion of the public and the private: the camera takes a look at the daily life of the city with a distance that is sometimes discreet, respectful, and empathetic. The characters usually appear isolated and are essentially portrayed in their individual actions, however, there are times when these characters meet and establish dialogues among themselves about their daily lives.